Relay



(Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. WRIGHT 8: J. H. LONGSTREET. RELAY No. 243,824. Patented July 5.1881.

Fig.

I: II

it :1 I: s.-

. ."lv PETERS. PlluluLilhoflmphcr. Wnshinglun. D. Cv

(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. E. WRIGHT & J. H. LONGSTREET. RELAY No. 243,824. Patented July 5, 1881.

(ModeL) 3 Sheath-Sheet 3.

J. .E. WRIGHT & J. H. LONGSTREET.

RELAY No. 243,824. Patented July 5, 1881.

Y mama's: nzrezzbn N. PETERS. Pw

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN E. WRIGHT, or NEW voEK, N. Y., AND J. HOLMES LONGSTBEET, OF HOBOKEN, NEW- JERSEY.

' RELAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,824, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed March 28, 1881.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. WRIGHT, of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, and J. HoLMEs LONGS'IREET, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays; and we do herebydeclare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming apart of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of our invention.

The prime object of our improvements is to obtain sensitive, accurate, and reliable relay service with a minimum necessity for variable adjustment to meet the variable conditions incident to line service; and in attaining those ends we have made sundry special improvements in construction which have value in various connections, as will hereinafter be fully described.

Relays embodying certain features of our invention are operated by a local-battery current peculiar to the relay and by the line-current, the forces developed by these currents acting through electro-magnets and serving to impart reciprocating motion to a vibrating element, as is essential in all relays.

Broadlyconsidered the employment of local andline currents for working relays is notnew, and instances of prior relays operating upon this general principle will hereinafter be more fully considered.

Relays embodying certain of the important features of our invention are novel in that on one side of the vibrating element there is a magnet wholly controlled by a line-helix, and on the opposite side a magnet having a double helix for separate local and line currents. In their best form our relays embody a vibrating hollow slotted core within a helix, which is connected with the line-current helix before referred to. In such a relay the line-current simultaneously polarizes the free end of the core oppositely to the polarity of the localcurrent magnet, weakens the force of the latter, and charges the opposite magnet with a polarity opposite to the polarity of the free end of the core, thus rendering our relay extremely sensitive and reliable in operation.

(ModeL) The several features of our invention, after being fully described, will be specified in detail in the several claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, of which there are three sheets, Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents, in side view, a relay in a desirable form and embodying all of the features of our invention. Fig. 2 represents the same in longitudinal central vertical section. Fig. 3 represents the same in plan or top view. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a detached view of an electromagnetic bar which constitutes the vibrating element in the relay. Fig. 5 is a graphic illustration of the apparatus to aid in the explanation of our novel method of controlling such apparatus. Fig. 6 is a modification illustrating the use of two movable cores with other elements. Fi 7 is a modification illustrating the use of a single-line helix and a movable core with other elements. Fig. 8, Sheet 3, is a modification illustrating the use of a sin gle-line helix and a magnetic bar with other elements. Fig. 9 is a modification illustrating the use of two eleotro-m agnets coupled to the same local battery and a vibrating core with its helix. trating the use of a vibrating polarized bar with an electro-magnet in the line-circuit and an electro-magnet controlled by a local battery modified by a helix in theline-circuit. Fig. 11 is a modification illustrating the use of two permanent magnets with a vibrating core and helix.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to l, inclusive, is well adapted for general relay service. The bed-plate is composed of the usual material and channeled or scored on the under side for properly housing the various wire-connections, and has a requisite number of screwposts, which will be hereinafter specially designated.

In this preferred embodiment of our invention we employ three electro-magnets, one of them having a vibrating core. The main or line magnet A is complex, and is, in substance, two magnets co-operating substantially as one electro-maguet. The top bar, a, core 1), base 0, and helix d constitute one of said magnets, and the vibrating core 6, pivoted to the basebar 0, and the helix f constitute another mag- Fig. 10 is a modification illus net. The two helices are in the line-circuit, and when the several parts thus far described are charged as an electro-magnet the upper end of the vibrating core is drawn to and firmly held by the coincident end of the top bar, a, and when the line-current terminates the coincident portions of the top bar and vibrating core are no longer magnetically controlled. The vibrating core is polarized by both of the helicesi. 0., by helix f directly, and by helix d eta base-bar c, to which the core is directly pivoted, and with either of said helices the movement of the vibrating core (if within a helix) or magnetic bar (if not within a helix) may be effected; but we prefer both, as shown, for attaining the best results, without limiting ourselves thereto, except as hereinafter specified. This vibrating core or electro-magnetic bar has been specially designed with reference to particularly favorable mechanical and electrical conditions. Mechanically it should be capable of movement with a minimum of friction, and it is therefore made light, is mounted truly vertically, is balanced, and is delicately pivoted by two side screws, 0, having conical bearings and on a line with, but at right angles to, its axis. Electrically it should be capable of prompt electric or magnetic alternate charge and discharge, and it is therefore constructed by us of soft iron, tubular in form and longitudinally slotted. These several conditions being thus provided for, it will be seen that the prompt and effective control and release of the movements of the magnetic core or bar are fully assured.

We are aware that stationary cores of electro-magnets have heretofore been hollow and slotted, and that hollow slotted longitudinallycurved cores have been heretofore employed in apparatus for feeding carbon points in electric lamps, in connection with segmental helices, within and by which said cores are 1011- gitudinally drawn, as by a weight or spring and also that vibrating solid cores or bars have heretofore been employed within helices in relays and in pole-changers worked by co-operative local and line currents.

lVe are further aware that heretofore a hollow slotted armature has been employed in connection with magnets which alternately attract opposite ends of said armature, the latter having been so pivoted centrally on a standard between the magnets as to admit of the tilting movement of the armature. So far as our knowledge extends, however, we are the first to combine a pivoted vibrating hollow slotted core within. a helix, and in a relay worked by co-operative local and line currents, or in a relay worked by line-currents and permanent magnets, as hereinafter indicated, and We believe said hollow slotted core and its surrounding helix to constitute a novel feature in such relays, which is vital to their successful operation, because of the peculiar necessity therein for such a prompt charge and discharge of magnetism as will enable the core, even with a weak line-current, to be promptly disengaged from the normal custody of electro or permanent magnets, as the case may be.

WVhile we prefer the pivoted hollow slotted core and helix, other forms of vibrating bar may be employed in connection with certain other features of our invention, as hereinafter indicated.

In sounders as heretofore contracted, in some cases, a permanent magnet has been employed in opposition to the line or main current; but our experience develops the fact that for relay service, or any other service involving a wide variation in the conditions incident to operation, the permanent magnet is generally objectionable for several reasons, some of which we will cite, as follows: A permanent magnet is speedily weakened by the variation of opposing battery-currents to which it is or may be necessarily subjected, although we hereinafter describe a novel combination embracing portions of ourinvention and permanent magnets which are not adversely aifected by battery-currents. Again, its maximum capacity is fixed and predetermined, and'in any emergency,when greater power is required, it cannot be augmented unless the permanent magnet be also an electro-magnet, as hereinafter indicated.

\Vith a battery-current, the coupling or uncoupling of cells or the setting of switches in battery-circuits enables a prompt and eifective adjustmentfromthe minimumorweakestforce, easily obtained by a permanent magnet. to a practically unlimited force, not practicably attainable with a permanent magnet.

WVe will now designate the course of the electric currents and means through which they operate for effecting and controlling the opposite movements of the upper end of the vibrating core in the relay already described.

The local-battery force is applied to the electro-magnet B with a constant polarity through the helix g, surrounding the core h, the front end or face of which is coincident to one side of the upper end of the vibrating magnetic bar or core 0, the helix and core constituting an electro-magnet,which normally al ways attracts said vibrating core or bar.

The core h is'rendered lon gitudinall y ad justable within its helix by means of thumb-screw h,for the purpose of variably locating its face with relation to the position of the upper end of the vibrating core, the latter being preferably so limited in its movement that no metallic contact occurs with the face of core It. By this adjustment the electro-magnet B may exercise much or little attractive force with reference to the vibrating core or bar 0.

We are aware that it is not broadly new in a' relay to provide for the adjustment of electro-magnets with relation to the moving or vibrating element; but we know of no prior sliding core longitudinally adjustable with relation to a vibrating core or bar within a helix, as herein described.

It will be seen that with the pole of electromagnet B permanently north,and the upper end of the vibrating magnetic core or bar 6 south, under one of its variable polarities, the normal position of the vibrating bar will be adjacent to the face of the core h, and that when the helices d and f are charged by the linecurrent to polarize south the face of the top bar, a, the same current, operating through helix f, polarizes north the upper end of the vibrating core 6, thus neutralizing the attraction between said core and theelectro-magnet B, simultaneously accompanied by an attractive influence for carrying the upper end of the vibrating core to its opposite limit of movement and placing itwholly under the custody of the linccurrent; and, further, that when the linecurrent ceases the vibrating core is released and passes'to the custody of the electro-magnet B, the face of bar a meantime changing to a light north,by induction m'a magnet B, and the upper end of the movable core changing to a light south, and in the best possible condition to be attracted by the magnet B. To render this variation of forces which we apply for effecting the vibratory movements of the core still more sensitive,we introduce the neutralizing or opposing helix, 1', which is interwound with or located outside of the helix g of magnet B, and is so arranged with reference to the line-current and to said helix g that the line-current will reduce the electromagnetic force in the magnet B. The line-current, in operating upon this local current in electromaguet B,not only reduces the power of said magnet, but it also reduces or weakens the normal south of the movable core,which it derives through induction from the north of magnet B, and therefore the movable core is simultaneously released from said magnet and oppositely attracted whenever the line-current is applied, all of the magnetic and electrical forces working in harmony to that end.

The binding-posts 7c and It communicate respectively with line and ground, the current midway traversing helices d, f, and The binding-posts k and communicate with the relay-battery g, Fig. 5, which controls the electro-magnet B.

- The vibrating core 0 is surmounted by a suitable neck, 0 having a proper contact point for engaging with the screw-stop of the soundercircuit. The circuit including the sounder l and battery I is made through the vibrating core,the conducting-wires terminating respectively at the base bar 0 adjacent to the foot of the vibrating core and at the front stop, 6", via the binding-posts k and k We are aware that in relays, as heretofore constructed, for operation by means of oo'operating local and line currents an invariablypolarized vibrating rod or barhas been encircled by a helix traversed by a local current, and the free end of said bar vibrated between the poles of an electro-magnet embodying separate helices traversed respectively by local and line currents; and we are also aware that other relays operated by local and line currents have heretofore embodied a variably-polarized vithat in English Patent 1,452 of A. D. 1856 it is suggested that a local current and a linecurrent be employed in the operation of a relay in such a manner that the line-current and the local current alternately traverse the same helices.

We are also aware that local currents have heretofore been employed, in connection with line-currents, for operating relays and polechaugers by the reversal of one or both of said currents 5 but, as before herein indicated, we know of no prior relay which embodies a pivoted vibrating core or bar of any kind the free end of which vibrates from one pole of a magnet or magnets having a local and aline helix to another pole of a magnet controlled wholly by a line-helix. Ve deem it of great importance, as before stated, that said vibrating core or bar be variably polarized, as described, by the line-current, and also that said core or bar be hollow and slotted and located within a helix.

WVe are aware that apparatus embodying more or less of our several features of invention may be devised in almost. endless variety of construction and arrangement, and we will next describe a few of many such organizations developed by us.

The variably-polarized hollow and slotted core, because of its lightness and capacity for rapid charge and discharge, is well adapted for use in duplicate for vibrating as one core in the same relay, especially with weak line-currents.

In Fig. 6 we have provided two hollow slotted vibratin g cores, 0, mounted vertically but pendent on horizontal pivots c, and having a neck for vibrating above the pivot between front and back stops.

The line-helixfat the left hand is as before described, but its fellow at the right hand is a complex helix,f, in two divisions, one of which is in circuit with the line-helixf, the two being so wound as to polarize by the line current the left-hand core south and the righthand core north. The second division of helix f is in circuit with the local relay-battery as before described, and also with the helix 9 of the electro-magnet B, having a T- shaped core, h, which is polarized constant north. Normally the right-hand core is in the custody of the arm of core h adjacent thereto, because the local relay-battery current polarizes the lower end of the right-hand core south, the left-hand core being then north. hen the line-current is applied the left-hand core is polarized strong south, the right-hand core is reversed to north, and the core h being always north, the cores move to the right hand, bringing the left-hand core into custody of the magnet B, from which it is released, to resume its normal position wheu the line-current ceases,

IIO

these movementsoft-he cores making and breakin g the currents in the sounder-circuit, as before described. These same parts may be modified as follows: Instead of having the two cores vibratory, as shown, they may be fixed or stationary, and the arm which 110w vibrates be tween the stops be located upon the outer end of core h of magnet 13, pivoted so that the latter may vibrate to and from each of the cores, and in this latter case the helix g may be stationary, so that the core It may vibrate therein, like the present cores.

\Ve are aware that duplicate cores have heretofore been employed in pole-changers in connection with local and line currents; but we know of no prior relay in which one of said vibrating cores was surrounded by a double helix for separate line and local currents, as shown in Fig. 6 atf, and we deem that a de sirable feature in connection with the vibrating hollow slotted cores when thus employed in duplicate.

In Fig. 7 we show a simple embodiment of the magnet 13, the vibrating polarized core 0, and its helixf; but in this form the magnetB may or may not have the extra counterbalanc ing-helix connected with the line, as before described, and if notthe local or relay current should be so adjusted that atits best its power overthevibratingcore maybe readilyovercome by the line-current, which is aided by the fact that the upper end of the core is by the linecurrent oppositely polarized, and therefore freely released by the magnet 13.

Referring to the relay, Fig. 7, it will be understood that the feature ofour invention therein involved consists of the combination of the vibrating hollow slotted core and the helix surrounding the same. The combination therein embodied of a local-current electro-magnet, a line-helix, and a variably-polarized vibrating bar is not broadly new; but we know of no prior relay in which the core-helix is solely relied upon to work against the local-current magnet, it having heretofore been augmented by additional magnets co-operating with said core-helix, and we believe that said additional magnets cannot be practically dispensed with in such an organization, except by theuse ot' the hollow slotted core, as in our novel combination.

In Fig. 8 the magnet B is or may be provided with the line-helix aswell as the localbattery helix, as first described; but the polarized vibrating bar 0 is not surrounded by a helix, reliance being had upon the helix (1, its core, top bar, a, and base 0 for affording the requisite magnetic action due to the line-current. In this relay, Fig. 8, we have embodied certain features of our invention, in that it contains an electro-magnet having a line and a local helix, a magnet having a line-helix and a variably-polarized core or bar, which vibrates between the poles of said magnets.

In Fig. 9 the magnet B has only the localbattery helix, but said magnet is located opposite magnet B which. has also a helix in the local-battery circuit. The vibrating core 6 and its 11 clix f are as before described, and the linecurrent also traverses an opposing helix in magnet I3 \Vith the magnet B set at, say, one-half the power of magnet B the coincident poles being both constant north and the upper end of core 0 being slightly south by induction, it is obvious that it will normally be held by magnet B; but when the force of the latter is wholly neutralized or slightly reversed by the line-current, and by the same current the upper end of the core is polarized strong south, it moves promptly over to the custody of magnet B, irom which it is as promptly released when said current ceases.

In Fig. 10 the electromagnetB has alocalbattery helix, and also a helix in the line-circuit, as before described, the upper end of its core being polarized constant north by the local-battery helix, and reduced to nil by the line-current helix. The upper end of the core of electro-magnet B is polarized south by the line-current, as before described. The vibratin g polarized bar 0 differs from all others before described, in that it has a permanent barmagnet, 0 which plays between the poles of the elect-ro-magnets l3" and B. The left-hand end of said bar-n'ntgnct is polarized south and the right-hand end north, so that in its normal position it is in the custody of magnet B; but when the power of said magnet is wholly reduced by its line-current helix, and the magnet 13' under the influence of the line-current, it passes to the custody of said magnet B", from which it is released and returned to magnet B, when the line-current ceases. In this relay, Fig. 10, we have also embodied importantieatures of out-invention, in that it contains an electro-magnet having a line helix and a local helix, a magnet wholly controlled by a line-helix, and a pivoted bar which vibrates between the poles of said mag nets.

\Vhile we prefer to avoid the use of permanent magnets in any form, we have shown their embodiment with certain of our novel features to illustrate some of the numerous combinations in which portions of our improvements may be organized.

In Fig. 11 we show two permanent magnets (one of which is also an electro-n'lagnet having a line-helix) and our vibratory core and helix. For use with one or more permanentmagnets, substantially as in this relay, we believe the combination of the variablypolarized pivoted vibrating hollow slotted core and its inclosinghelix has special value, because of its lightness and its capacity for prompt magnetic charge and discharge; and we further believe that a relay embodying one or more permanent magnets cannot be successfully operated without the hollow slotted pivoted core and its helix unless the permanent magnet be mounted upon the vibrating bar, as in Fig. 10, with which fair results may be obtained. The permanet magnet 0 takes the place of the electro-magnet B, first do IIO . be in custody of magnet C, but the line-helix of the vibrating core in this case is so wound that it charges said core north, causing it to be readily released from magnet O and attracted by magnet G, which meantime by its line-helix has had its power augmented; but

after the line-current ceases the magnet 0 resumes the custody of the core, because of its greater power. In all apparatus embodying such permanent magnets the adjustment of the core must of necessity be very close to the poles of the magnets and the extent of vibration limited, and, as in all the apparatus de scribed, metallic contact of the core and magnets should be avoided.

It will be observed that wherever we employ permanent magnets we in no case so apply the line-currents as to produce a weakening of said magnets. In the bar-magnet c of Fig. 10 the varying conditions of thetwo magnets cooperating therewith are always in harmony with the bar and in Fig. 11 the magnet O is never reduced from its normal or original magnetic condition, but is, on the contrary, augmented by the line-current tending to gradually increase its permanent force, rather than to decrease it.

It will also be observed that with each of the several forms of apparatus shown a linecurrent of unchanged polarity is employed.

In the construction of our apparatus we purpose the employment of the best known materials, and to avail ourselves of the best features of construction well known to be ap plicable and desirable in electrical apparatus, and we have not deemed it necessary to enter into all the specific details in those connections.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new-- 1. In a relay, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, of an electro-magnet having a local and a line-helix, an electromagnet wholly controlled by a line-helix, and a pivoted vibrating core or bar which at its free end vibrates between the poles of said magnets.

2. In a relay, the combination of a pivoted hollow longitudinally-slotted core and a helix surrounding said core, substantially as described.

3. In a relay, the combination of the variably-polarized vibrating core, a line-circuit hellX surrounding said core, an electro-magnet having a line-helix co-operating with the corehelix for moving the free end of the core in one direction, and an electro-magnet for moving said core in the opposite direction, provided with separate helices for line and local currents, substantially as described.

4. In a relay, the combination, with one or two helices, of a vibrating core or bar variably polarized and an electro-magnet of constant polarity provided with separate helices for 10- cal and line circuits, substantially as described.

JOHN E. VVRIGH'I. J. HOLMES LONGSTREET.

Witnesses:

JNo. H. WALKER, E. W. GOMBERs. 

